How do you take on formidable opponents like the Audi A4, BMW 3-series and Lexus IS? If you're Volvo, you depart from tradition and build the sportiest car in the company's history.

Portland, Ore.—Fresh in the hands of new ownership (China-based Geely automotive), Volvo is poised and ready for a comeback. And though safety is arguably the most distinct identifier for the brand, the new-for-2011 S60 reveals what happens when Volvo decides to flex its performance muscle, and target shoe moving away from more mundane Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys. Does this Volvo have the breadth of character to handle both road and track with competence? We spent a day behind the wheel finding out.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The Specs

Though its short overhangs, 18-inch wheels and taut proportions make the new S60 appear roughly the same size as its more streamlined predecessor, this smallish sedan is actually 2.4 inches longer, with 2.1 more inches of rear legroom. Described as a "four-door coupe" by designer Peter Horbury, the S60 takes on an aesthetic that's more muscular and buttoned-down. New sport seats with extra side support are standard, as is aluminum trim, Bluetooth connectivity and Sirius satellite radio, with 6 months of free service.

More From Popular Mechanics

Under the hood is a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine that's been upgraded from its XC60 application. Boasting the most powerful six-cylinder ever produced by Volvo, this mill makes 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, which peaks at 2100 rpm—a spike that comes on earlier than Volvo's 4.4-liter V8. Also up-rated is Volvo's six-speed automatic transmission, which sports faster cog swaps thanks to new valves and reduced friction. Purists take note: A manual transmission will not be offered on the new S60, but the model does feature a front torque vectoring system, which brakes the inside wheel diverting more power to the outside, with the intention of eliminating understeering from the standard Haldex all-wheel-drive system. The S60 also incorporates an advanced traction-control system with the first-ever use of a body-roll-angle sensor. Though the XC90 takes body roll into account as a safety feature in order to avoid rollovers, the S60's setup is designed to perceive the loss of traction before it occurs and make early and slight corrections for better handling.

Ride dynamics have been tightened with a 47 percent increase in chassis stiffness, firmed-up springs, struts and bushings, and 10 percent faster steering. Three chassis are available: the standard Dynamic version, which is equipped with 18-inch wheels; a no-cost Touring setup, which uses softer damping settings and drops to higher-profile 17-inch alloys; and a $750 FOUR-C option. The latter incorporates automatically adjustable adaptive dampers, which can be set to Comfort, Sport, or Advanced modes. The different settings also alter throttle response, and steering effort can be selected from three levels.

-->

On top of the base price of $37,700 (plus an $850 destination fee), an $800 climate package adds heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers. The $2700 multimedia package includes a premium Dolby Pro Logic sound system, navigation with real-time traffic and a rear-view camera. Opt for the technology package, and your S60 will come equipped with safety features including adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, collision warning with full auto brake, and lane departure warning.

The Drive

Despite the Volvo marketing team's valiant efforts to depict the S60 as a high-performance workhorse, our daylong test drive started with a parking-lot drill that showed off the car's available pedestrian detection system. Using a small stand-up dummy nicknamed "Junior," we were encouraged to drive at 30 mph towards the faux child. As we approached the mockup, with our foot pressed on the gas pedal, the system suddenly intervened with just a few feet to spare: a red heads-up display flashed on the windscreen, an alarm sounded and the car automatically (and aggressively) applied the brakes until it came to a resounding halt, just short of the dummy. Though shocking in its intrusiveness, the system worked well enough to convince us that a grille-mounted radar unit, a camera positioned on a rearview mirror, and clever shape-recognition software can make the difference between tragedy and accident avoidance—at least up to 22 mph, as Volvo promises.

After exiting the parking lot and hunting the rambling roads that unfurl across rural Oregon's hilly backcountry, the S60's suspension felt hunkered down and responsive, conveying feedback to the driver while exhibiting sharp, intuitive turning and considerable mid-corner grip. Effectively held in place in the bucket of our sport seats, we were also impressed with the surprisingly accommodating cushion softness; the S60's interior was pleasant enough to feel like it struck a good balance between comfort and no-nonsense Scandinavian utility.

The turbo six's 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque lend a spritely quality to the car's acceleration, enabling a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds, according to Volvo execs; floor the throttle, and the resulting longitudinal G-forces are incurred with enough swift and nearly silent linearity to make the turbocharger seem absent, or at least rather well hidden beneath the hood. The engine is nicely matched to the 3901-lb chassis, which doesn't feel nearly as heavy from behind the wheel. And while the S60 makes a fleet dance partner across winding roads, the ride can feel somewhat jostled over rough surfaces and uneven concrete joints. Similarly, our car's summer tires transmitted more road noise than we would have expected at highway speeds, unless traveling over preternaturally smooth stretches of asphalt.

We later experienced an impromptu display of the car's collision warning technology when our eyes strayed to the navigation system for a moment: the red heads-up light flashed and an alarm sounded, focusing our attention to traffic ahead, which had suddenly slowed due to a left-turning car. Though we reacted before the automatic braking took over, we were impressed at the system's effectiveness.

Two laps at the rather technical 2.3-mile Oregon Raceway Park more lucidly revealed the torque vectoring system's ability to turn the car and avoid understeering. Though the stability-control system was active (and therefore kept us out of too much trouble), incremental sliding revealed no surprises when it came to handling dynamics that edge towards the car's limits. A hot lap with Randy Probst, who just clinched the Manufacturer's Championship in the Speed World Challenge GT ahead of Porsche and Dodge, revealed more of the car's handling tenaciousness, though the smoking brakes after our brief sessions suggested that actual racing might be a bit taxing on this street car's stoppers.

But after a day's worth of driving, the Volvo S60's newly found sense of crisp performance proved a welcome addition to this sedan, while its friendly interior and comfortable seats left us no less worse for wear after several hundred miles.

The Bottom Line

The word "naughty" is being used extensively in Volvo's marketing of the new S60, perhaps to dissociate the brand from its long-held reputation as a hopelessly conservative manufacturer. Though the S60 still boasts stout construction and plenty of safety features—especially when equipped with the technology package—it also has more spunk than any Volvo in recent history, proving that there's no reason a car can't be both naughty and nice.